


Soft Serve

by Swashbuckler



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Brotherly Love, Father Figures, Gen, Paternal Instinct, Pre-Reboot, The Rogues As Family (The Flash)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swashbuckler/pseuds/Swashbuckler
Summary: Len isn't as cold-hearted as he'd like everyone to believe.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 63





	Soft Serve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ScotchxDisaster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScotchxDisaster/gifts).



> I had a dad-shaped Len thought and I just HAD to.

"Where the hell is Mick?" 

"He's coming, alright?"

"Donnae see why we don't just use the mirrors," Evan said, breath clouding in front of his face. Len rolled his eyes. 

"Sick of travelling by the Mirrorverse," Len muttered, throwing a glare Mark's way as he snorted. "Mate, if you want to fly away home, be my guest."

"Oh, wow, I never thought of that," Mark sneered as he rubbed his arms. "Why don't I just change the weather while I'm at it? Oh yeah---!"

"Not my fault your wand got snatched by the Flash, alright?" Len grunted. "Quit y' whining." 

Len squared his shouders as he went back to facing the empty street. He glanced to the boy beside him.

"You alright, kid?" 

Axel made an affirmative noise through his teeth. 

"You cold?" 

"No," Axel forced out as his whole body shivered.

Behind his visor, Len raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Len assumed Axel must have nodded; it was hard to tell when the kid's whole body was shaking. "'M fine." 

"Right." He could hear Axel's teeth clicking. Teenage bravado - a whole new level of stubbornness.

Len sighed. He fidgeted with the zipper tucked under the white frost detailing of his costume and tugged it down. He shrugged off the top portion of his costume and held it out.

"C'mon then."

"What?" Axel asked, still twitching. Len gave his jacket a shake, nodding at it. Axel gaped at him, and took a tentative step forwards. 

"R-really?"

"Oh, hurry up before you freeze," Len barked. Axel stared at him for a second longer before shoving his arms into the sleeves of Len's Captain Cold jacket with a gleeful smile.

"You not gonna get cold?" Axel asked, more out of disbelief than concern. Len still had the pants of his costume, as well as his gloves and boots, but the vest he was wearing left his arms exposed to the cold winter air.

Len gave Axel a scathing look. "You don't think _I_ can handle the cold?"

"Fair."

Len stooped and - without really thinking and without being asked - caught both halves of the zip together and drew it up to Axel's chin for him. "Can't have you freezing," Len muttered absently to himself, pulling the hood of his jacket up over Axel's head. "There. Better?"

"Yeah," Axel said, awestruck. "Thanks."

Len nodded. "We need to get Gambi to make you something decent for this kind of weather. Don't want you getting ill."

Axel was beaming, his squidgy teenage face framed by the white fur of Len's hood. Len couldn't help the fond smile he gave him in return.

The smile didn't last though.

"The hell're you looking at?" Len barked at Evan and Mark.

"Nothin', nothin'," Evan said quickly, smothering a snort.

"Just didn't know your costume wasn't all one piece," Mark lied with ease. "That's all."

Len eyed them doubtfully. "Got a couple of different ones," he grunted. He folded his arms over his chest and shrugged off their attention as Mark and Evan whispered between themselves.

"Didn't take him for the paternal type. Now the secret's out."

"Daww. Ain't 'e precious?"

A car horn made them all cheer as Mick pulled up, the handbrake crunching as he rolled to a halt in front of them.

"Finally," Mark huffed as he threw himself across the backseat, Axel and Evan scrambling in after him as Len buckled himself into the passenger seat.

"Sorry, there was traffic," Mick said, pushing his orange goggles up onto the top of his head. "You all alright?"

There was a low chorus of assent from the car as Mick revved the engine and they pulled away down the street. 

Len didn't miss Mick glance back in the rearview mirror at Axel wedged between Mark and Evan in the backseat. The kid was still grinning to himself like he couldn't believe his luck, admiring the jacket of Cold's costume.

"Don't gimme that look," Len sulked as Mick cast him a bemused smile.

"The kid's grown on you, then?"

Len shrugged dismissively. 

"Just couldn't have him getting cold."

Mick smiled.

"I know, Len. I know."

**Author's Note:**

> Several notes:  
> Firstly, I'm a sucker for the Rogues being Axel's dads.
> 
> Secondly, soft serve is a very soft type of ice cream aka Len in this fic ( cold but still soft). Title inspiration from TheKelpie!
> 
> Thirdly, Len doing up Axel's jacket for him without even thinking about it is me headcanoning him specifically having latent big brother instinct from when he used to look after Lisa as a child and do the same for her (and Mick definitely knows this too).
> 
> Update: TheKelpie drew fanart of Axel based on this and it's precious ;__;
> 
> https://thekelpie.tumblr.com/post/613032248611110912/axel-wearing-lens-parka-inspired-by


End file.
